Many of us have had a hamstring injury at one time or another – you know – that big muscle group at the back of the thigh. Sportspeople are constantly injuring that muscle group at great cost to themselves and the team. David Opar and his team research, collaborate and coordinate the new wave of inquiry into hamstring injury, rehabilitation and management.

FEATURED

Dr David Opar completed his doctoral thesis at the Queensland University of Technology [QUT] in the area of hamstring strain injuries. Soon after its completion he joined the Australian Catholic University [ACU] as a Lecturer in the School of Exercise Science.

David is part of the ACU High Performance Sport lecturing team and manages the ‘Performance and Injury: Prevention and Management’ unit. He also heads up the ACU Hamstring Injury Groupand is leading the way in hamstring injury research. David and his team are in close consultation with professional sporting codes both nationally and internationally to deliver evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies for their athlete group.

Welcome to the SoundMinds 5 Minute Research Pitch 2017 Finals Presentations. The 5 Minute Research Pitch is a competition for academics to present their research in 5 minutes. That’s it, they can use 3 slides – and there are no more rules. Pictured above are the 2017 finalists.

Researchers from 7 universities competed this year within their university in two categories: Science& Health: and Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. The winner in each category heads off to the finals.

This year, the competition was hosted byCentral Queensland University, because one of their researchers [Dr Melanie Hayman] was the 2016 overall winner. You can hear more from Melanie in the SoundMinds episodeFit4Two where she discusses her innovative and entrepreneurial research about fitness during pregnancy.

The competition was held at the Central Quenland University campus in Melbourne, hosting the competitors from seven universities:

Central Queensland University

Australian Catholic University

Charles Sturt University

Southern Cross University

Southern Queensland University

University of Tasmania

Victoria University

It takes more than knowledge about your research. It takes preparation and precision. You are disqualified at 5:00 minutes and if the slides don’t work, you’re on your own. In the world of academics, outside of publishing and taking the knowledge about our world forward, communication is essential, whether to colleagues, students, the public or potential funders.

“So often, this is what’s missing in research, passion for the project and the ability to explain it simply and effectively.”
Professor Scott Bowman (Vice Chancellor, Central Queensland University)

FEATURED

In this episode, two academics from the host Central Queensland University present their research. Dr Alex Rusell works as a post doctoral fellow with a focus on gambling research, which he discusses in “Social Influences on Problem Gamblers”. Dr Michele Lastella teaches in the Appleton Institute for Behavioural Science, where he continues to research covering sleep, stressors, psychological impacts and performnace, some of which you will hear about in his talk, “Are You Getting Enough? Sex as a Natural Hypnotic”.

Alex has a background in psychology, completing his PhD in 2014 in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney where he studied taste and smell perception, with a specific interest in wine perception. During that time he also conducted research into odour-colour synaesthesia.

Towards the end of his PhD, Alex started working in gambling research which led to a position in the Centre for Gambling Education and Research at Southern Cross University. He now works as a Senior Postdoctoral Fellow at CQUniversity, with a focus on gambling research. His specific interests in the area of gambling are: the impact of new technologies (Internet, mobile devices) on gambling behaviours and related harms; gambling amongst minority groups, such as Indigenous people; and methodological issues in gambling research.

Michele completed an Honours degree in Psychology in 2009 at the University of the Sunshine Coast and a PhD in Psychology in 2015 at the Appleton Institute for Behavioural Sciences. During this time he became active in sleep research. His research interests involved examining the sleep/wake behaviours of elite athletes and how various stressors may impact their psychological state and performance. In 2016, he took up a full-time teaching and research position at the Appleton Institute for Behavioural Science and continues conducting research in the area of pre-sleep behaviours, sleep, mood and performance.

CONGRATULATIONS

Alex Russell placed third in the Science and Health discipline. Michele Lastrealla placed second in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences discipline.

Welcome to the SoundMinds 5 Minute Research Pitch 2017 Finals Presentations. The 5 Minute Research Pitch is a competition for academics to present their research in 5 minutes. That’s it, they can use 3 slides – and there are no more rules. Pictured above are the 2017 finalists.

Researchers from 7 universities competed this year within their university in two categories: Science& Health: and Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. The winner in each category heads off to the finals.

This year, the competition was hosted byCentral Queensland University, because one of their researchers [Dr Melanie Hayman] was the 2016 overall winner. You can hear more from Melanie in the SoundMinds episodeFit4Two where she discusses her innovative and entrepreneurial research about fitness during pregnancy.

The competition was held at the Central Quenland University campus in Melbourne, hosting the competitors from seven universities:

Central Queensland University

Australian Catholic University

Charles Sturt University

Southern Cross University

Southern Queensland University

University of Tasmania

Victoria University

It takes more than knowledge about your research. It takes preparation and precision. You are disqualified at 5:00 minutes and if the slides don’t work, you’re on your own. In the world of academics, outside of publishing and taking the knowledge about our world forward, communication is essential, whether to colleagues, students, the public or potential funders.

“So often, this is what’s missing in research, passion for the project and the ability to explain it simply and effectively.”
Professor Scott Bowman (Vice Chancellor, Central Queensland University)

FEATURED

In this episode, two academics from the University of Southern Queensland present their current research. Dr Adina Piovesana from the School of Psychology and Counselling has been researching sports-related concussions to shine a spotlight on the serious cognitive and psychological effects they can have. Her talk is entitled “Buddy Franklin Tackles a Car”. Dr Tracy Kolbe-Alexander from the School of Health and Wellbeing typically researches in the workplace and has a particular interest in fostering healthy behaviours in shift workers, which she considers in her talk “A Hard Days Night: Moving Shift Workers Towards Health”.

Dr Piovesana, a lecturer in ethics in psychology and psychological assessment, has been researching sports-related concussions to shine a spotlight on the serious cognitive and psychological effects they can have.

“Research has indicated that the force of a tackle is similar to hitting the windscreen of a car travelling at 40km per hour, so I thought that was an emotive and clear way to get the message across in my pitch. While there are current protocols and tools used when dealing with concussions in sports, they aren’t sensitive enough to capture the cognitive and psychological effects concussions are having on players, and there is no consistency across the different sporting codes that I’ve been able to identify. Unfortunately we don’t really know the long-term effects of concussions so we need to continue research that looks at it in more detail. Adina will continue her research on psychometrics, test development and standardisation, and sports-related concussion.

Tracy is a senior lecturer at USQ’s School of Health and Wellbeing, her research is examining the effects shift work can have on the body, looking at the role of physical activity and other lifestyle behaviours on the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease. “Shift workers are often time poor, have disruptive patterns and find it hard to fit in physical activity. My research is looking at ways to bring physical activity to shift workers with the hope they become more active, less fatigued, have an improved sense of wellbeing and most importantly a reduced risk of heart disease.”

CONGRATULATIONS

Dr Adina Piovesana and Dr Tracy Kolbe-Alexander have both returned with titles from the 5 Minute Research Pitch national final. The researchers won their respective disciplines. Southern Queensland University Executive Dean (Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts) Professor Barbara de la Harpe (middle) celebrates at the finals with the winners.

MORE CONGRATULATIONS

You may have noticed Adina has two trophies. She was voted the overall winner at the final in Melbourne. This gives the University of Southern Queensland the hosting rights for the 5 Minute Research Pitch 2018.

Here she receives the award from the Vice Chancellor of CQU, Professor Scott Bowman, who said he’d been impressed by the strong field of researchers.

“So often, this is what’s missing in research, passion for the project and the ability to explain it simply and effectively.”
Professor Scott Bowman (Vice Chancellor, Central Queensland University)

Welcome to the SoundMinds 5 Minute Research Pitch 2017 Finals Presentations. The 5 Minute Research Pitch is a competition for academics to present their research in 5 minutes. That’s it, they can use 3 slides – and there are no more rules. Pictured above are the 2017 finalists.

Researchers from 7 universities competed this year within their university in two categories: Science& Health: and Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. The winner in each category heads off to the finals.

This year, the competition was hosted byCentral Queensland University, because one of their researchers [Dr Melanie Hayman] was the 2016 overall winner. You can hear more from Melanie in the SoundMinds episodeFit4Two where she discusses her innovative and entrepreneurial research about fitness during pregnancy.

The competition was held at the Central Quenland University campus in Melbourne, hosting the competitors from seven universities:

Central Queensland University

Australian Catholic University

Charles Sturt University

Southern Cross University

Southern Queensland University

University of Tasmania

Victoria University

It takes more than knowledge about your research. It takes preparation and precision. You are disqualified at 5:00 minutes and if the slides don’t work, you’re on your own. In the world of academics, outside of publishing and taking the knowledge about our world forward, communication is essential, whether to colleagues, students, the public or potential funders.

“So often, this is what’s missing in research, passion for the project and the ability to explain it simply and effectively.”
Professor Scott Bowman (Vice Chancellor, Central Queensland University)

FEATURED

In this episode, two academics from Southern Cross University present their current research. Dr Anna Scott, who researches anemones and anemonefishes in subtropical reef habitats asks “Does Bleaching Mean Nemo Cannot Find His Home?” and Dr Glory Gatwiri, Kenyan born birthing expert, who brings us the sobering tale of “Childbirth injuries and Leaking Bodies: Stories from Kenyan Women”

Dr Anna Scott works in the Marine Ecology Research Center and uses sea anemones and anemonefishes as model organisms to answer a variety of research questions throughout tropical and subtropical reefs of the Indo-Pacific. Anna’s research has four main themes, which include: investigating the reproductive biology of host sea anemones, developing captive breeding techniques to support marine ornamental aquaculture, documenting the distribution and abundance of anemones and anemonefishes, and determining the impacts of bleaching and climate change on various aspects of the symbiosis.

Dr Glory Gatwiri
Dr Glory Gatwiri lectures in the School of Arts and Social Sciences. Glory researches into areas relating to childbirth and immigration. Her work involving the oppression of women in Kenya through obstetric practices is brought to light in her talk “Childbirth injuries and Leaking Bodies: Stories from Kenyan Women”.

Welcome to the SoundMinds 5 Minute Research Pitch 2017 Finals Presentations. The 5 Minute Research Pitch is a competition for academics to present their research in 5 minutes. That’s it, they can use 3 slides – and there are no more rules. Pictured above are the 2017 finalists.

Researchers from 7 universities competed this year within their university in two categories: Science& Health: and Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. The winner in each category heads off to the finals.

This year, the competition was hosted byCentral Queensland University, because one of their researchers [Dr Melanie Hayman] was the 2016 overall winner. You can hear more from Melanie in the SoundMinds episodeFit4Two where she discusses her innovative and entrepreneurial research about fitness during pregnancy.

The competition was held at the Central Quenland University campus in Melbourne, hosting the competitors from seven universities:

Central Queensland University

Australian Catholic University

Charles Sturt University

Southern Cross University

Southern Queensland University

University of Tasmania

Victoria University

It takes more than knowledge about your research. It takes preparation and precision. You are disqualified at 5:00 minutes and if the slides don’t work, you’re on your own. In the world of academics, outside of publishing and taking the knowledge about our world forward, communication is essential, whether to colleagues, students, the public or potential funders.

“So often, this is what’s missing in research, passion for the project and the ability to explain it simply and effectively.”
Professor Scott Bowman (Vice Chancellor, Central Queensland University)

FEATURED

In this episode, two academics from the Australian Catholic University present their current research. Dr Simone Dorsh from the School of Physiotherapy explores the possibility of being “Stronger after Stroke”. Dr Taren Sanders from the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education presents “Square eyes or all lies? Understanding children’s exposure to screens”.

Simone Dorsch is a lecturer in Neurological Physiotherapy and a Clinical Specialist in Rehabilitation at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital. She has a Masters of Health Science (Neurological Physiotherapy) and a PhD from the University of Sydney. Her PhD “Increasing Strength after Stroke”, included a systematic review of interventions with the potential to increase strength after stroke, descriptive studies investigating the extent of loss of strength after stroke and the relationships between leg strength and walking speed and a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of EMG-triggered electrical stimulation at increasing strength after stroke. She is currently involved in research projects investigating; the use of technology to increase practice and improve outcomes in rehabilitation, the relationships between walking ability and physical activity after stroke and the relationships between changes in impairments and activity after stroke. She regularly teaches workshops on Stroke Rehabilitation nationally and internationally.

Dr Taren Sanders’ current research interests focus on the physical activity of children and young people. In particular, on understanding what determines physical activity behaviour, the health and well-being benefits of physical activity participation, and how measurements of physical activity can be improved. In his research pitch he discusses the myths and realities around children and screentime.

Addressing Falls Risk in Regional Australia: Do We Need to Rethink our Approach?

The bride of the sky: The implications of the “aurus” for the Egyptian Tentmakers

THE 5 MINUTE RESEARCH PITCH

Welcome to the SoundMinds 5 Minute Research Pitch 2017 Finals Presentations. The 5 Minute Research Pitch is a competition for academics to present their research in 5 minutes. That’s it, they can use 3 slides – and there are no more rules. Pictured above are the 2017 finalists.

Researchers from 7 universities competed this year within their university in two categories: Science& Health: and Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. The winner in each category heads off to the finals.

This year, the competition was hosted byCentral Queensland University, because one of their researchers [Dr Melanie Hayman] was the 2016 overall winner. You can hear more from Melanie in the SoundMinds episodeFit4Two where she discusses her innovative and entrepreneurial research about fitness during pregnancy.

The competition was held at the Central Queensland University campus in Melbourne, hosting the competitors from seven universities:

Central Queensland University

Australian Catholic University

Charles Sturt University

Southern Cross University

Southern Queensland University

University of Tasmania

Victoria University

It takes more than knowledge about your research. It takes preparation and precision. You are disqualified at 5:00 minutes and if the slides don’t work, you’re on your own. In the world of academics, outside of publishing and taking the knowledge about our world forward, communication is essential, whether to colleagues, students, the public or potential funders.

“So often, this is what’s missing in research, passion for the project and the ability to explain it simply and effectively.”
Professor Scott Bowman (Vice Chancellor, Central Queensland University)

FEATURED

In this episode we feature two academics from Charles Sturt University. Kristy Robson researches risk management and approaches to rehabilitation after falls and Sam Bowker ponders the implication of the appliqued “aurus” for Egyptian Tentmakers, then and now.

Dr Kristy Robson
Kristy Robson lectures in the School of Podiatry and her research interests in include injury risk management and falls in rural settings.

Dr Sam Bowker is a Lecturer in Art History and Visual Culture at Charles Sturt University. His current major research project is an art historical survey of Khayamiyya, or Egyptian Tentmaker Applique, from the late Ottoman Empire to the present. This has resulted in exhibitions around Australia and for the Islamic Art Museum Malaysia, which hosts an annual scholars-in-residence program for CSU students.

Welcome to the SoundMinds 5 Minute Research Pitch 2017 Finals Presentations. The 5 Minute Research Pitch is a competition for academics to present their research in 5 minutes. That’s it, they can use 3 slides – and there are no more rules. Pictured above are the 2017 finalists.

Researchers from 7 universities competed this year within their university in two categories: Science& Health: and Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. The winner in each category heads off to the finals.

This year, the competition was hosted byCentral Queensland University, because one of their researchers [Dr Melanie Hayman] was the 2016 overall winner. You can hear more from Melanie in the SoundMinds episodeFit4Two where she discusses her innovative and entrepreneurial research about fitness during pregnancy.

The competition was held at the Central Quenland University campus in Melbourne, hosting the competitors from seven universities:

Central Queensland University

Australian Catholic University

Charles Sturt University

Southern Cross University

Southern Queensland University

University of Tasmania

Victoria University

It takes more than knowledge about your research. It takes preparation and precision. You are disqualified at 5:00 minutes and if the slides don’t work, you’re on your own. In the world of academics, outside of publishing and taking the knowledge about our world forward, communication is essential, whether to colleagues, students, the public or potential funders.

“So often, this is what’s missing in research, passion for the project and the ability to explain it simply and effectively.”
Professor Scott Bowman (Vice Chancellor, Central Queensland University)

FEATURED

Two academics from the University of Tasmania pitch very different projects. Dr Katherine Kent from the Centre for Rural Health ressearches flavonoids and cognition and asks us to consider “Flavonoids – Rich Food For Thought”. Dr Kerryn Brent from the Faculty of Law considers present “Undersanding how International Law can Govern Negative Emissions.

Katherine Kent (nee Caldwell) is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Centre for Rural Health. Katherine has a background in nutrition and public health and is interested in the field of nutrition, cognition and ageing. Specifically, Katherine is involved in research that investigates the impact of fruit flavonoids on cognitive and physical outcomes, especially in older adults with dementia. Katherine is also interested in evaluating and improving current methods that estimate dietary flavonoid intake.

Kerryn’s research has been focused on international law and governance in regard to the new global technologies, such as geoengineering, that are increasingly being considered as part of the broader discourse around global climate responses. In this talk she addresses the role that international law can play in governing negative emissions.

CONGRATULATIONS

A People’s Choice Award, voted by audience members at CQUni Melbourne, and via a webcast, went to Dr Katherine Kent. In addition Katherine took second place in the Science and Health Discipline. Dr Kerryn Brent placed third in the Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences discipline.

Right Place, Right Time, with the Right Eye Watching: Talent Identification and Recruitment in Team Sports.

Giving Voice to the Silent Game

THE 5 MINUTE RESEARCH PITCH

Welcome to the SoundMinds 5 Minute Research Pitch 2017 Finals Presentations. The 5 Minute Research Pitch is a competition for academics to present their research in 5 minutes. That’s it, they can use 3 slides – and there are no more rules. Pictured above are the 2017 finalists.

Researchers from 7 universities competed this year within their university in two categories: Science& Health: and Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences. The winner in each category heads off to the finals.

This year, the competition was hosted byCentral Queensland University, because one of their researchers [Dr Melanie Hayman] was the 2016 overall winner. You can hear more from Melanie in the SoundMinds episodeFit4Two where she discusses her innovative and entrepreneurial research about fitness during pregnancy.

The competition was held at the Central Quenland University campus in Melbourne, hosting the competitors from seven universities:

Central Queensland University

Australian Catholic University

Charles Sturt University

Southern Cross University

Southern Queensland University

University of Tasmania

Victoria University

It takes more than knowledge about your research. It takes preparation and precision. You are disqualified at 5:00 minutes and if the slides don’t work, you’re on your own. In the world of academics, outside of publishing and taking the knowledge about our world forward, communication is essential, whether to colleagues, students, the public or potential funders.

“So often, this is what’s missing in research, passion for the project and the ability to explain it simply and effectively.”
Professor Scott Bowman (Vice Chancellor, Central Queensland University)

FEATURED

In this episode, two academics who research sport from different perspectives in the College of Sport & Exercise Science at Victoria University. Dr Paul Larkin is interested in how talent is identified in early career sports people. Dr Fiona McLachlan discusses the “silent game”.

Talented sportspeople need to be spotted, identified, supported, trained and educated. So how is this achieved? Dr Paul Larkin’s research investigates the methods of spotting and recruitment. Given the money invested at the leading edge of sport, you’d think it would be methodical, that “talent scouts” would have it down to a fine art or science. You’d assume that they were finding the best of the best and that chance, personal bias and serendipity had no place in the process. Well, think again, as you listen to “Right Place, Right Time, with the Right Eye Watching”.

Fiona started exploring the historical and social perspectives of a sport that has one of the highest participation rates across all sports – netball. What she found was very little, given the dominance of this sport in all parts of Australia. There was little record of it’s existence compared to the minutiae of details, records and memorabilia from other notable Australian sports. She enlisted citizen researchers to fill the void as she coordinates the social history of netball in Victoria, in her talk, “Giving Voice to the Silent Game”.

Social media has a dark side, and the emergence of trolls and their behaviours and motivation has fascinated Dr Evita March. Is it just a case of the “dark personality traits” or could there be more to the story? Trolls are different to cyber-bullies, they are unknown, untrackable and unfortunately unavoidable. And there is very little research. Evita and her colleauges are on a troll hunt, seeking to find out more.

FEATURED

Dr Evita March is a lecturer and researcher in psychology at Federation University, Melbourne, Australia. Evita’s areas of research expertise include mate preferences, personality, and online behaviours.

She is currently involved in research exploring predictors of online antisocial behaviours and mate strategies. Evita is a member of the Society of Australasian Social Psychologists [SASP], and is currently the Deputy Group Administrator for the Federation University Sex Gender and Relationships Research Interest Group.

Using modern digital archives to look back into our colonial history, Catherine Bishop found that women in early Australia were far more than merely ‘colonial helpmeets’ supporting their settler husbands. Many colonial women in both Australia and New Zealand were engaged in earning a living. Often this involved starting a small business – as a dressmaker or publican, grocer or theatrical entrepreneur – or inheriting an enterprise from a dead husband – such as an ironmongery, butcher’s shop or jewellery business.

FEATURED

Dr Catherine Bishop is a historian who researches Australian, New Zealand and international history, with a particular focus on women. She received a PhD from the Australian National University in 2012 and is now a Kathleen Fitzpatrick Junior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney.

She has published a number of articles and her first book Minding Her Own Business: Colonial Businesswomen in Sydney was published in October 2015. This book was awarded the 2016 Ashurst Business Literature Prize. She has contributed to the Dictionary of Sydney. She was the Australian Religious History Fellow at the State Library of New South Wales in 2016. She was also the recipient of a New Zealand History Trust Award and won the Australian Women’s History Network Mary Bennett prize.

Her research interests include businesswomen in New Zealand and Australia, female missionaries, the International Federation of Business and Professional Women and the Daily Mail and Herald Tribune World Youth Forums of the post World War Two era. She is also interested in heritage, particularly in the way women’s history has been memorialised.

The title was inspired by an article by Leonore Davidoff entitled Regarding Some Old Husbands’ Tales: Public and Private in Feminist History [in Worlds Between: Historical Perspectives on Gender and Class, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1995].

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NEWS

Great to be welcomed to the 5 Minute Research Pitch finals for 2017, hosted by Central Queensland University’s Melbourne Campus. Fourteen talented communicators (representing arts and science academics from 7 participating universities) competed in the ultimate test – pitch your research in 5 minutes, with a 3 slide limit, no going over time. Michael was able to record the entire event and will present the presentations, featuring the two researchers from each of the represented universities.